Pillar and Glass Bedding - Ruger American in a Boyds

[KP-Skagit]

I have a Ruger American Rifle I put a Boyds laminate stock on years ago. Recently it was shooting like absolute garbage so I tossed the factory stock back on and its back to MOA.

I prefer the Boyds but clearly it's the source of the problem. As I understand it now Boyds provides some bedding with their stocks for bedding the v block lugs into the stock. Back in the day with mine they did not. Boyds also has an option now to have pillars installed but back in the day they did not.

My question is, is it worth doing the glass bedding without pillars in the stock? There has been some compression of the stock over the years where the bolts for the action stick.

And more generally, if anyone has messed around with a Ruger American like this I am curious. Even working on the factory stock.

[b23]

Except for stocks that have bedding blocks I have pillars put in everything and I think it's especially important to have them in wood stocks.

[MeepDog]

One of the best things you can do to a ruger american is take the stock off and get a dowel wrapped in sandpaper. Run it along where the barrel sits and keep doing it until the barrel floats all the way down. Those factory stocks are often warped and if it's touching the barrel it could open your groups up. Sounds like your factory stock is working well though.

[addicted1]

 
Not a Ruger, but I a Boyd’s on one of my guns. Glass bed and pillars, shot okay but not great. Had to sand the the barrel channel on the stock. Run a piece of paper between the barrel and see if it snags up anywhere. That cured my issues.

[HillHound]

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[KP-Skagit]

Thanks for the input all. I think I have convinced myself that I will stick with the factory stock and go from there. Don't need another project to mess around with.

[jrebel]

There are other aftermarket stocks.  The Boyds is usually the economical fix to aftermarket, but if you want to spend a little more and have a nice plug and play....look at other manufacturers.  The WOOX is one that comes to mind. 

Ruger Americans are inexpensive rifles though.....so keeping them in the factory stock and not giving a crap if you beat it up is the way to go in my opinion.  Before I spent $600 to 1K on a new stock, I would buy another rifle.  My one ruger american shoots very well in the factory stock and will live in it for that reason.  It's my truck gun for yotes. 

[KP-Skagit]

There are other aftermarket stocks.  The Boyds is usually the economical fix to aftermarket, but if you want to spend a little more and have a nice plug and play....look at other manufacturers.  The WOOX is one that comes to mind. 

Ruger Americans are inexpensive rifles though.....so keeping them in the factory stock and not giving a crap if you beat it up is the way to go in my opinion.  Before I spent $600 to 1K on a new stock, I would buy another rifle.  My one ruger american shoots very well in the factory stock and will live in it for that reason.  It's my truck gun for yotes.

That's pretty much where I am at I think... Toss in I won it with 40 dollars of raffle tickets.

[chukarchaser]

I would float then bed the action without the pillars.  My  says its worth it and not much of a project to do.